In chat rooms and at owner events, the Viper faithful like to beat their chests and rail against all efforts to domesticate their sacred serpents. But get them alone and loosened up a little, and the story changes. "Yes I track my car a lot, and I still want to win, but I wouldn't mind winning in a less deafening, roomier cockpit with cruise control. See, these rich guys also own other fancy GT cars, and they're a smidge smitten by the creature comforts those cars offer. So the SRT Viper team set out to deliver a no-compromises car this time around, and at long last they've invited us to grade their efforts by letting us take the 2013 SRT Viper out for a few hot laps around western Michigan's GingerMan Raceway.

But before we strap in, let's recap the new Viper's program highlights. On the creature comforts front, in addition to the aforementioned cruise control, new Sabelt thin-shell seats boost comfort and provide greater seat travel both back and down to better accommodate taller and helmeted drivers. Chrysler's 8.4-inch console screen controls features including Uconnect Bluetooth telematics, navigation, and satellite radio, and a choice of two Harman Kardon stereos sprinkle either 12 or 18 speakers throughout the tiny cabin. The exhaust note all those speakers are shouting down is also greatly improved, thanks to new plumbing with no crossover, revised resonators, and better control of the combustion itself courtesy of VVT and savvier engine control computers. Unabashed sybarites can upgrade to the GTS model, which gets standard Napa leather upholstery, 40 pounds of sound deadening, and a comfier ride afforded by new Bilstein Damptronic two-way adjustable shocks. And if Napa leather proves too "domestic" for them, there's an Italian Laguna leather package that swathes the entire cockpit in Gucci-grade sepia-toned hides.Purists will want to order the base car (also a coupe, but with manual seats and "protein vinyl" trim) and tick the SRT Track Package box (it's also available on GTS). This brings superlight black wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero Corsa soft-compound, non-run-flat tires (275/35ZR18 front, 355/30ZR19 rear) and StopTech composite rotors (slotted, vented, 14-inch steel discs on aluminum hubs). Carbon ceramic rotors are not offered for two good reasons: They're super expensive to replace if an owner nicks one while changing tires at a track day, and they don't absorb as much heat as steel rotors do, so that heat ends up in the pads and calipers. Sizing them large enough to prevent boiling the fluid offsets the rotors' weight savings and would force 19-inch front wheels.

To help ensure that this charm-schooled Viper can defend track records set by its predecessor at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the Nurburgring Nordschleife (each of which is immortalized by track maps on interior cubby mats), the car is 100 or 140 pounds lighter (GTS or base), and stronger by 40 hp and 40 lb-ft, for a total of 640 hp and 600 lb-ft. (Fun fact: you can call it an even 800 hp created in the cylinders, because powertrain chief Dick Winkles claims that the first 160 hp are spent overcoming engine friction.) According to vehicle development chief and dynamics guru Erich Heuschele, the SRT Viper's handling is improved enough that, along with the improved weight-to-power ratio, it should be a half-second/mile quicker around most challenging circuits. But enough of the preamble -- let's saddle these snakes and see how they slither.I start out with some refresher laps in a 2010 Viper, which feels slightly crude and dangerous compared to the Corvette ZR1 I've driven to the track. Its cockpit is confining, the seat feels like an upholstered half-whiskey barrel, the shifter seems industrial-sourced, and the helm gives a sense of swinging the nose into turns. Sure, it's crazy fast and big hairy fun to drive -- but in a brute force, blunt-instrument way.

Next I strap into the all-new base Viper with the SRT Track Package and suddenly it's the ZR1 that feels like the antique, lacking Viper's high-def reverse camera, modern crisp screen graphics, connectivity, etc. Relative to the 2010 Viper, the seat is vastly more comfortable and supportive, though I find I now have to motor the pedals rearward to meet a seat position that puts me far enough away from the (non-telescoping) steering wheel. From the first touch of the start/stop button (keyless go is now standard), the engine barks to life more eagerly and settles into a less guttural but still uniquely ten-cylinder lope.Charging off into the first series of turns, the car rotates much more eagerly. Steering feel is about on par with that of the outgoing car, and it's almost hard to believe the ratio is the same (16.7:1) because the yaw response is so much quicker. Credit the 50-percent stiffer chassis (see that under-hood X-brace?), the wider front track (62.4 inches versus 61.7), stickier Corsa tires, and myriad suspension geometry tweaks. Chief among these is a set of new rear toe-control links that permit more compliant understeer -- a good thing that helps put power down in corners less, um, dramatically.

Love the car overall, and while I don't hate the front end, I do feel that it is one of the weaker areas. Especially in the lighter colors (like this yellow) that higlight the hood scoops and vents.The blue with white stripes version without all of the vents looks much better IMO.Can't wait to see a proper comparison of this car with the 911 and Vette (and whatever other cars are available, like maybe a certain long-term GT-R).-T

Well I like to the new viper a lot!!! Be interesting to see pics of the new interior and see the stats from a review and test drive I like the yellow but i hope that the new prices put the lambos and enozos to shame at the bank!!!!!!

Chrysler's Lutz, at that time their head honcho, gave the go-ahead to go deeper into their already established Shelby connection, by going forward with their commemorative Retro-friendly Viper concept ( remember Shelby used the name "Cobra" ... Viper, Cobra, Snake ... hopefully you'll make the connection. They didn't lapse into copying the British Naval-themed model names, which should've been your first clue here). The Dodge Viper was more in spirit with Shelby's AC Cobra rather than a follow-on to the Vette. This is not to say that they commissioned Shelby to do anything, it was purely internal to Chrysler ( or Dodge, if you will; now SRT).

The Viper was obviously not intended to be a Pocket Rocket, but a "What If" with reference to the Shelby AC Cobra - What would it ( the Shelby Cobra) be like today ( 1987-ish) if it was still being made?

So, 'No' to the Vette wannabe idea ...

Now that we've corrected that error, carry on with whatever you were messing up before.

@Kent Do you really think that GM would see the Viper and be like, oh that looks cool, let's change our design to look like that even though the car is revealed in less than a year? Wow, you obviously have no idea how automotive production works. The exterior design of the car is one of the first things done. Since GM has been working on the C7 since at least 2007, there's a good chance the 'Vette was the car being copied. The 'Vette will always be better than the Viper. I don't think this new Viper even has direct injection. 97k is a little high for an asking price don't you think?

You do know that the Viper was inspired by the Cobra of Carroll Shelby (a.k.a all things Ford) right????? Or are you just another dumb red neck? Without the Cobra of Carroll Shelby, there would have never been a Viper dumb dumb, lol. xD

So you still believe GM - "Government Motors" - is American? HA!! There is waaaaay too much China money in the bail-out funding for you to say that. Chrysler/Fiat has already bought their way out. GM's "buyback" money - the buyback which they've yet to achieve - was also part of the Bailout. So GM - no matter what - will rightly be called "Government Motors" for some time to come. Hope you'll be L'ing your AO over that.